But getting to the island from the Bronx - as well as Manhattan - can be tough. A pedestrian ramp off the Triborough Bridge is safe but daunting, said Peterson, because it runs between Randalls and a desolate South Bronx warehouse district.

"Access to Randalls Island is a huge problem, because the public doesn't know how to get there," said Geoffrey Croft of NYC Parks Advocates. "The average kid from the Bronx doesn't walk over to play baseball, which is sad because the Bronx is the closest borough to the island."

But Peterson says a new footbridge at E. 132nd St. could be the missing link. It would cross the Bronx Kill below the Hell Gate railroad trestle and should be ready by mid-2012, according to the city Economic Development Corp.

A bus service could run from Randalls Island from Harlem's 125th St. subway station or from schools in Manhattan and the Bronx. The Public School Athletic League already buses students from Harlem on game days.

The Parks Department will promote Randalls among South Bronx schools this fall. It focused on East Harlem last year, said Peterson.

Bronx Charter School for Excellence in Parkchester buses students to Randalls Island.